Santum of Sanguinius
by drovenmad
Summary: A secret mission, in a long forgotten part of the galaxy. Brother-Sergeant Cadius Therim of the Blood Angels Second Company is tasked with reclaiming a planet that has long sat out side of the Imperial grasp of the Ecclessiarcy. However Magos Tekrim, seems more interested in the history of the Planet, and its connection to the history of the Blood Angels Primarch Sanguinuis. Yet t


**It has been quite a while since I have posted anything... Life has really just kind of taken over and limited the amount of time that I have got dedicated to my writing time.**

**However, I am happy to report that I am still working on the Re-write of Light and Darkness. I am also happy to report that the next section of Inquisitors Woe is looking like it could becoming very soon. **

**And I am also very happy to introduce within this Story the Night Wardens Space Marine chapter. They are a chapter that I have created and will be worked into most of my stories, they are also looking to form a major part of the upcoming section to Inquisitors woe, so be on the look out for any information I drop concerning them.**

**Enjoy and as always Review and let me know what you think.**

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Brother-Sergeant Cadius Therium knelt on the chapels dung coloured flagstone. His body was arched over in prayer to the silent statue of the Emperor. It offered little, except silent reassurance of who and what he was. He was alone in the chapel that was buried deep within the Vigilantus, his face illuminated by a single dim red light cast by the biolumes behind the simple iron alter. The glow of the light highlighted the deep blood red of his armour and the sigil of his chapter. A single winged drop of crimson blood, that signified the loyalty of the Brother-Sergeant.

Therium's eyes were closed as he sat in silent vigil. Yet his body was tense, fists clenched placed on the flagstone floor. Silently he struggled with the fire that ran through his veins, the bane of his gene-father ten thousand years dead. Fighting against this screaming inside him was not something that was strange to Therium, he and his brothers had been fighting it since there initiation on Baal all those years ago. Some of them more than most. Therium had lost many a battle-brother to the thirst. Donning the black armour with the red cross on their pauldrons, the final fate of all Sanguinius' surviving children. The Death Company.

Therium let out a long sigh as he tried to calm his mind, reeling in his senses and regaining control on the barely contained blood thirst that sat on the edge of his mind. It was in moments like these he envied the Librarians, their witch sight allowing them to see that what was yet to come. A great advantage for one always faced with the inevitable fate of falling to the darkness within. Yet he also knew of the seemingly haunting dreams that cursed the members of the Librarius, dreams of horrors that pour from the terrifying realm of the immateria, vital moments in battle, and sometimes even their own death. He felt a slight shudder run through him at that thought, it was true that he was as fearless as the rest of his brothers, but something about the witch sight unnerved him.

"Therium." A voice cut through the pale silence, the mechanical undertones hinting at an implanted voicebox.

Therium opened his eyes and looked up at the still silent statue of the Emperor, highlighted by the dim red light that shone from behind it. He stood, and turned to face the new arrival. There walking towards him was Chaplain Merath. The Chaplains heavy boots snapping against the stone floor of the Chapel. Unlike Therium and his Battle-Brothers, the Chaplain wore armour that was black, like that of the Death Company, with the exception of his helmet which appeared to play host to a white skull. Yet like the Sergeant the Chaplains pauldron was red and held within it the winged blood drop of the Blood Angels Chapter.

"Chaplain." Therium acknowledge the presence of his brother with a hasty salute, which Merath quickly returned.

"What troubles you Sergeant." Merath asked, his mechanical voice once again chilling the air. Therium knew however, that Merath, unlike the priests of the adeptus mechanicus, had lost his voice box in a conflict with the Tyranids.

Therium thought for a moment about whether or not to tell the Chaplain about the troubles that clouded his mind., but the very idea was quickly pushed aside. "It is nothing Chaplain."

"Very well." Merath studied him for a moment before accepting the answer and returned to his original reason for being there.

The two Astartes studied each other as they stood in the barron chapel that was buried deep within the bowels of the Cruiser, nested between the primary and tertiary engine cogitators. It was surrounded by the ribs of metal that made up the main structure of the cruiser, and then hidden behind the layers of thick armour plating of the Vigilantus' hull. The Chaplain gestured to Therium signalling him to follow as Meraths made his way to the door. The heavy iron door creaked as the Chaplain opened it with relative ease.

"According to the Magos we have almost arrived at our destination. I assumed that you would wish to be on the bridge." Meraths spoke again, not sounding too impressed by the information he had dispensed.

"Am I right in ascertaining that this is not what the Magos wishes?" Therium asked, as both Astartes made their way out of the Chapel and into one of the many corridors of the Vigilantus. The crewmen, servitors and serfs all quickly moving out of their way as they moved through the corridor.

"I do not care what the Magos wishes." The Chaplain hissed through his mechanical voice box. "It is your men on this mission, thus I feel you should be involved in any discussions proclaiming to the assignment."

"Do I sense some tension between you and the Magos, Chaplain?" Merath looked over at him, the green eyes of the helmet piercing into his. Therium allowed himself a momentary smirk within the confines of his helmet, hidden from the Chaplains prying eyes.

"We do not agree on many things Sergeant, that is all." The tone of the Chaplain suggested that he was doing well to hold his tongue rather than voice further grievances against the Magos that Therium knew he held.

The door that lead onto the bridge of the Vigilantus opened ahead of the two Astartes, allowing them access to the ornate bridge. The bridge was a vaulted oval of brushed brass and pressed steel. Around the edges of the bridge in the small work pits dwelled servitors and serfs, working away tirelessly on cogitators whilst under the watchful eye of the Vigilantus experienced and battle hardened officers dressed in the navy's traditional blue-black tunics. Above them was stacked another layer of cogitators and various other pieces of tech that the Astartes cared little for. Finally in the center of the bridge sat Captain Yoralev, highlighted by his red trimmed duty jacket. A veteran of several campaigns as the Vigilantus' Captain. The man was as always dressed in an impeccable uniform and his stance was infallible. His stern eyes scanned over his crew, simply observing. It was clear that he was in command of this vessel. Therium liked the man from what he had seen on his short time aboard the Vigilantus. The man was clearly one who respected the fine arts, not just in battle but in all walks of life. Something all Blood Angels respected.

Yoralev spotted the two Astartes as they entered the bridge and turning from one of the bridges many crystal lenses, made his way over towards them. He came to a swift halt in front of them and offered a quick salute. They both simply nodded in response.

"My Lords we are approaching the exit coordinates that the Magos gave us." The Captains thick Valhallian accent cut through the whine of the servitors and bustle on the bridge with practiced ease. Yet it was clear to both Merath and Therium that the man was uneasy.

"What troubles you Captain." It was Merath who spoke, and in Therium's mind he was the better person to ask this question. Much like the Captains voice had, Merath's voice cut through the noise of the bridge, even drawing the attention of some of the officers.

"It is not my place Lords." The Captain replied, but a simply wave of the Chaplains had dispelled his silence, granting him permission to speak freeling. Therium felt it was more of an order than permission, but he kept his silence. "It is the Navigators sir, they are uneasy and unsure."

"Your concern has been noted Captain." The Chaplains tone was clear, he too shared the concerns of the veteran, even if he would not share them with him or Therium.

Before the Captain could speak again they were interrupted by the sound of metal striking metal.

"The Captain is quite correct." the voice was filled with mechanical nounces, underlayed with an over resounding air of logic. They were words from a speaker, attached to a respirator and embedded into a face where once a mouth had sat. There was no emotion in the voice of Techpriest Magos Tekrium, he was much like the very ship around them, a machine.

The Techpriest came to a stop in front of them. The many mechadendrites that seemed to sprout from out of the rear of his traditional red cloak were moving around like the feelers on an insect, seeking out any and all information. Other than this there was not much of the man that seemed in anyway alive. His face was pulled and stretched, machinery and wiring escaping the confines of their poorly maintained flesh packing. Therium could see the beginning of the carbine plates that disappeared under the Magos' hood. Tekrium gave a deep raspy breath through the respirator that covered his mouth, in fact it was the only sign that seemed to suggest he was even alive.

"We will soon be exiting into an unknown part of space." The words were seemingly filled with nothing but condescending tones, as if he were speaking to a child.

"Don't play games with me Magos." Therium spoke up for the first time since he had entered the bridge, he was beginning to tire of the secrecy that shrouded their mission.

"I would never dream of playing games with you... Space Marine." The final words held a glimmer of emotion, a sliver of all that was left of what the man had once been. That emotion had been hatred. "Sufficed to say you will be given more information at the appropriate time."

Theriums fist clenched by his side, it was all he could do to stop himself from reaching for the chainsword sheathed on his belt and removing the Magos' head. He knew however that an action like that would only lead to trouble, and was more befitting neophyte than a veteran such as himself. The Magos let out another sustained raspy breath, before turning to look at one of the many readouts that were scattered around the Vigilantus' bridge. The readout appeared to Therium, Meraith and Yoralev as nothing more than a screen of binary and nonsensical information. Yet it was clear that the Magos understood what he was reading.

"The scrying of the sensors has revealed we are nearing our intended location." The Magos eventually said, looking back at the two Astartes in front of him.

"And where pray tell would that be?" Therium asked, doing nothing to hid the annoyance that was creeping into his tone, or the anger swelling in his veins.

"The Nostro system." The Magos seemed to crackle with laughter as he spoke, though Therium did not understand why, and he guessed by the silent stare of Captain Yoralev neither had he. Meraith however looked troubled, even though his tomb of ceramite and adamantium Therium could tell the Chaplain was unnerved.

"That system is lost." Meraith answered, certainty locked within his voice. As he spoke Tekrium let out a low and raspy laugh. It was one of the strangest sounds that Therium had heard. "Engulfed by a Warpstorm many centuries ago."

"Set course for the fifth planet in the system, Captain Yoralev." The Magos decided against commenting further, then turned back to face the scrying mirror before speaking to Therium and Meraith. "I suggest you prepare you men for rapid deployment Sergeant. I doubt we will be the only ones interested in this planet."

Therium could almost hear the Chaplain grinding his teeth through his helmet. Yet without another word he went to leave the bridge, heading for the hangar bay to do as the Magos commanded. It was not long until Meraith joined him and the two giants made their way back down the long corridors of the Vigilantus.

For a time they walked in silence, nothing but the thumping of their armour as it crashed onto the deck plating, step after step. Therium was lost in his thoughts, contemplating why a Magos would come to a remote uncharted system and why he had requested an attachment of Astarties. No matter how hard he thought about it, any reason or logic in the action continued to elude him. Meraith it seemed was simply stewing in his rage, willing to direct it towards anything that came in between him and his destination. It was quite clear the Chaplain was not used to being treated with such disrespect.

"I would not worry about the Magos Chaplain." Therium spoke to his brother, feeling it would be best to try and let some of the anger out. Rather than risk the bane of the Chapter on the only one who could control the very men under that affliction. "The Mechanicus have never understood our devotion or our faith."

"Faith or not, they serve the Emperor as do we." Meraith commented, his anger spilling onto his words as he spoke. "Respect should be given on both sides, instead we are treated like their lap dogs, jumping into action whenever they call."

"That is the way it has always been Meraith." Therium was keeping calm, he knew that it would serve neither of them should it descend into an argument between brothers. "I am more interested on what you know of the Nostro system... and in particular the fifth planet?"

"I know only what I have heard in stories." Meraith stopped in the middle of the rust coloured hall and looked up at the Sergeant before him. "The fifth planet was once home to a now lost chapter of Astartes, the Night Wardens. Many tales are spun about the secretive chapter, and their most infamous action; The Massacre on Caligo."

"Traitors?" Therium felt the rage within him grow again, the thought of having to deal with traitors as well as the mechanicus was not a pleasant thought. Yet the Chaplain shook his head.

"Unknown, the true story is lost. Locked within the archives of the Domum de Noctem, the Wardens fortress Monestary." Meraith once again started moving down the corridor, his feet falling much heavier now than earlier. It was clear that he had been unnerved by the information he had recieved.

"So what is the name of the fifth planet then?" Therium asked as he tailed the Chaplain slightly, allowing serfs and servitors to pass-by.

Meraith let out a rasped mechanical sigh before he answered the Sergeant with the answer he had already guessed.

"Caligo."


End file.
